US4570030A - Solar cell device - Google Patents

Solar cell device Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US4570030A
US4570030A US06/604,245 US60424584A US4570030A US 4570030 A US4570030 A US 4570030A US 60424584 A US60424584 A US 60424584A US 4570030 A US4570030 A US 4570030A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
amorphous silicon
silicon layer
transparent electrode
extension
edge
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
US06/604,245
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Yoshiyuki Umemoto
Masao Iijima
Masahide Miyagi
Yoshihisa Muramatsu
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Fuji Electric Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Fuji Electric Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Fuji Electric Co Ltd filed Critical Fuji Electric Co Ltd
Assigned to FUJI ELECTRIC COMPANY LTD. reassignment FUJI ELECTRIC COMPANY LTD. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: IIJIMA, MASAO, MIYAGI, MASAHIDE, MURAMATSU, YOSHIHISA, UMEMOTO, YOSHIYUKI
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US4570030A publication Critical patent/US4570030A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
    • H01L31/042—PV modules or arrays of single PV cells
    • H01L31/05—Electrical interconnection means between PV cells inside the PV module, e.g. series connection of PV cells
    • H01L31/0504—Electrical interconnection means between PV cells inside the PV module, e.g. series connection of PV cells specially adapted for series or parallel connection of solar cells in a module
    • H01L31/0508—Electrical interconnection means between PV cells inside the PV module, e.g. series connection of PV cells specially adapted for series or parallel connection of solar cells in a module the interconnection means having a particular shape
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
    • H01L31/042—PV modules or arrays of single PV cells
    • H01L31/0445—PV modules or arrays of single PV cells including thin film solar cells, e.g. single thin film a-Si, CIS or CdTe solar cells
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
    • H01L31/042—PV modules or arrays of single PV cells
    • H01L31/05—Electrical interconnection means between PV cells inside the PV module, e.g. series connection of PV cells
    • H01L31/0504—Electrical interconnection means between PV cells inside the PV module, e.g. series connection of PV cells specially adapted for series or parallel connection of solar cells in a module
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a solar cell device having a plurality of cell units formed by laminating a transparent electrode, an amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer, and a metal electrode disposed on a common transparent substrate, wherein two adjacent cell units are connected by an extension of the metal electrode of one unit which traverses an edge of the a-Si layer so as to contact the exposed extension of the transparent electrode of a unit adjacent to the first unit.
  • a-Si amorphous silicon
  • FIG. 1 A conventional solar cell device of the type contemplated by the present invention is shown schematically in FIG. 1, wherein a transparent insulating substrate, for instance, a glass sheet 1, is coated with a transparent electrode 2 made of a transparent conducting material of, for example, ITO (tin-doped indium oxide) to form a plurality of isolated regions, Each isolated region is coated with an a-Si layer 3 (shown as a dotted area), which is further coated with a metal electrode 4 (shown as a hatched area).
  • the respective cell units are series-connected by means of an exposed (not covered with the a-Si layer) extension 21 from the transparent electrode 2, which is overlaid with an extension 41 from the metal electrode of an adjacent unit.
  • an area 22 isolated from the transparent electrode 2 is provided and overlaid with an extension from the rightmost or leftmost cell unit.
  • the area in which the extension 41 crosses an edge of the a-Si layer 3 is indicated at 5 in FIG. 1, and in this area the metal electrode 4 is insulated from the transparent electrode 2 by the a-Si layer whose width (W) is so small that a short-circuit failure can easily occur between the metal electrode and transparent electrode.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a solar cell device wherein no short-circuit failure will occur between a metal electrode and a transparent electrode in the region where the metal electrode crosses an a-Si layer.
  • This object is achieved by a solar cell device wherein an extension of the metal electrode of one cell unit that is to contact the exposed edge of the transparent electrode of an adjacent unit crosses over an edge of the a-Si layer region that projects from an edge of the transparent electrode of the first unit.
  • FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a conventional solar cell device
  • FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a preferred embodiment of a solar cell device of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 A preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically in FIG. 2, wherein a glass sheet 1 is coated with a transparent electrode 2 which is further coated with an a-Si layer 3 having an extension 31 which reaches beyond an edge of the transparent electrode 2.
  • This a-Si layer may be deposited by decomposition of silane gas through glow discharge.
  • An extension 41 from the metal electrode 4 is routed over the extension 31 and crosses its edge 32 to provide an electrical connection with an extension 21 from the transparent electrode 2 of an adjacent cell unit.
  • the edge 32 is spaced from the periphery of the transparent electrode 2 by a distance l, which is much greater than the width W indicated in FIG. 1 and eliminates the chance of shorting between the metal electrode 4 and transparent electrode 2.
  • a similar design may be employed for providing electrical connection to a terminal transparent electrode region 22.
  • interconnection between two adjacent cell units is provided by a metal electrode that traverses an edge of an a-Si layer in the region that projects from a transparent electrode underneath. This eliminates the chance of a short-circuit failure between the metal electrode and transparent electrode and contributes to the fabrication of a solar cell device having a high reliability.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)
US06/604,245 1983-04-26 1984-04-26 Solar cell device Expired - Fee Related US4570030A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP58073184A JPS59198775A (ja) 1983-04-26 1983-04-26 太陽電池
JP58-73184 1983-04-26

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US4570030A true US4570030A (en) 1986-02-11

Family

ID=13510792

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US06/604,245 Expired - Fee Related US4570030A (en) 1983-04-26 1984-04-26 Solar cell device

Country Status (2)

Country Link
US (1) US4570030A (ja)
JP (1) JPS59198775A (ja)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20090155544A1 (en) * 2007-12-12 2009-06-18 Fujifilm Corporation Web-like electrode material and method for producing same

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH0747877Y2 (ja) * 1988-12-26 1995-11-01 鐘淵化学工業株式会社 光起電力装置

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5623785A (en) * 1979-07-31 1981-03-06 Sanyo Electric Co Ltd Solar battery
US4281208A (en) * 1979-02-09 1981-07-28 Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. Photovoltaic device and method of manufacturing thereof

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5776882A (en) * 1980-10-30 1982-05-14 Seiko Epson Corp Thin film type solar battery

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4281208A (en) * 1979-02-09 1981-07-28 Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. Photovoltaic device and method of manufacturing thereof
JPS5623785A (en) * 1979-07-31 1981-03-06 Sanyo Electric Co Ltd Solar battery

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20090155544A1 (en) * 2007-12-12 2009-06-18 Fujifilm Corporation Web-like electrode material and method for producing same

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS59198775A (ja) 1984-11-10

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US4542255A (en) Gridded thin film solar cell
US5626686A (en) Thin-film solar cell and method of manufacturing the same
EP0482511B1 (en) Integrated photovoltaic device
US4824488A (en) Photovoltaic device
US4593152A (en) Photoelectric conversion device
US9159859B2 (en) Solar cell module
EP0195148A1 (en) Photovoltaic device and method of manufacture
JPS60240171A (ja) 太陽光発電装置
JP3613851B2 (ja) 集積化薄膜太陽電池
US5385614A (en) Series interconnected photovoltaic cells and method for making same
US6013870A (en) Thin-film solar module
US4570030A (en) Solar cell device
JPS5955079A (ja) 薄膜太陽電池
JPS63119273A (ja) 光電変換素子
JPH10170933A (ja) 液晶表示装置
JPS61199674A (ja) 薄膜太陽電池モジユ−ル
JP2014075532A (ja) 太陽電池モジュール
JPH06268241A (ja) 薄膜太陽電池およびその製造方法
JPH0442944Y2 (ja)
JPS61163671A (ja) 薄膜太陽電池
JPS6214954B2 (ja)
JPS59167072A (ja) 直列接続形薄膜太陽電池
JPS6141156B2 (ja)
JPS6141261Y2 (ja)
JPS6138205Y2 (ja)

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: FUJI ELECTRIC COMPANY LTD., 1-1, TANABESHINDEN, KA

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNORS:UMEMOTO, YOSHIYUKI;IIJIMA, MASAO;MIYAGI, MASAHIDE;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:004462/0171

Effective date: 19840417

FEPP Fee payment procedure

Free format text: PAYOR NUMBER ASSIGNED (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: ASPN); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY

FPAY Fee payment

Year of fee payment: 4

FEPP Fee payment procedure

Free format text: PAYOR NUMBER ASSIGNED (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: ASPN); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY

Free format text: PAYER NUMBER DE-ASSIGNED (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: RMPN); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY

FPAY Fee payment

Year of fee payment: 8

REMI Maintenance fee reminder mailed
LAPS Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
FP Lapsed due to failure to pay maintenance fee

Effective date: 19980211

STCH Information on status: patent discontinuation

Free format text: PATENT EXPIRED DUE TO NONPAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEES UNDER 37 CFR 1.362